This is the 2011 Zinfandel from L.A. Cetto. Estate bottled in Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley) in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The ABV is 14%.
For some background on the L.A. Cetto winery and links to the other reviews in this series, please check out L.A. Cetto - A Brief History of the Mexican Winery. To learn more about Mexican wine in general, I've written a complete history on the subject: Mexico makes wine too, muchacho.
If you're a regular reader of my blog then you already know that I have a tough time with Zinfandel. I loathe most of them but would die for the safety of the few that I adore. One day I'll go into greater detail as to why but that day is not today.
Today I will be drinking a Mexican Zinfandel! A MexiZin!
Today I will be drinking a Mexican Zinfandel! A MexiZin!
Aaaand it's in the same sloping-shoulder bottle as the Petite Sirah! WHAT? It does seem kind of weird to be honest. Zinfandel is supposed to be in a masculine Bordeaux bottle right? Or am I being a snobby traditionalist here? I don't like it. They should change that. Get me on the phone with Mr. Cetto immediately.
This Zin spent six months in oak and six months in the bottle before it was released. The color is almost a brick red with a little bit of a purple highlight on the edge.
This Zin spent six months in oak and six months in the bottle before it was released. The color is almost a brick red with a little bit of a purple highlight on the edge.
The nose is drop-dead gorgeous. Aromas of Raisinets (chococolate covered raisins), raspberries, black currant and ethyl alcohol attack your nostrils. The more it opens up the spicier it gets with black table pepper and home-made crushed pepper flakes.
I want to consume it through my nose but I'm afraid of what my wife would do if she caught me snorting wine. I'll wait until she's asleep and do it in the basement.
In the mouth it's full-bodied, savory and as smooth as a Cadillac. The strength of the ethanol on the nose does not translate onto the palate.
There's flavors of raspberry, blueberry, cola and mocha. It also has this syrup element reminiscent of Port; so there is a sweetness going on but it's miscible within the other elements. It just fits and enhances the experience, rather than being out of place and misused.
Black table pepper, bell pepper, plum and that Port syrup make up the finish.
This is a $10 Zinfandel that I could drink all the goddamn time. It doesn't have any of the awful bright candied fruit, Hi-C and plum skins that overwhelm the majority of Zin selections out there. Instead it's got fantastic juicy fruit with a dark depth of mocha and a peppery kick. That's how I take my Zinfandel, folks.
But I think what makes me love this particular wine so much is that it reminds me so very much of Port, which is probably my Bizarro to Zinfandel in that I am a complete sucker for it. I'll take one whiff of any Port, whether it's Portuguese Porto or an Australian Sticky or whatever, and I'll act like a teenage girl gushing over a Boy Band or a junkie getting his first hit after leaving rehab. But my ridiculous crush on Port is also for another day.
QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $10
Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended.
(what does that mean?)
The bottle used was supplied free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
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| I WILL FIND THIS PLACE AND EAT THOSE RAISINET PEOPLE. |
In the mouth it's full-bodied, savory and as smooth as a Cadillac. The strength of the ethanol on the nose does not translate onto the palate.
There's flavors of raspberry, blueberry, cola and mocha. It also has this syrup element reminiscent of Port; so there is a sweetness going on but it's miscible within the other elements. It just fits and enhances the experience, rather than being out of place and misused.
Black table pepper, bell pepper, plum and that Port syrup make up the finish.
This is a $10 Zinfandel that I could drink all the goddamn time. It doesn't have any of the awful bright candied fruit, Hi-C and plum skins that overwhelm the majority of Zin selections out there. Instead it's got fantastic juicy fruit with a dark depth of mocha and a peppery kick. That's how I take my Zinfandel, folks.
But I think what makes me love this particular wine so much is that it reminds me so very much of Port, which is probably my Bizarro to Zinfandel in that I am a complete sucker for it. I'll take one whiff of any Port, whether it's Portuguese Porto or an Australian Sticky or whatever, and I'll act like a teenage girl gushing over a Boy Band or a junkie getting his first hit after leaving rehab. But my ridiculous crush on Port is also for another day.
Price: $10
Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended.
(what does that mean?)
The bottle used was supplied free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
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